Kyngdom Survival Guide

LETTER FROM ZEPHYRA

Chatterbox: KYNGDOM™ Power of Wing

LETTER FROM ZEPHYRA

LETTER FROM ZEPHYRA

Dearest F.A.F.A., animal allies, and friends,

I write you from my outpost high on Meek Peak. It feels so, so good to say that.

I’ve been relaxing all week, getting my strength back. Little Crow brings me acorns and grubs and sings me songs he learned at the Bog & Burrow. He also brought me about two dozen shiny new buttons for my leather jacket, gifts from all of you. Thank you all for the buttons, and for taking good care of my nephew.

Thank you above all for being my heroes. I know it took weeks and weeks of planning, and hours of danger, to break me out of that dark lab. I am forever indebted to you, you amazing creatures big and small. If B.I.G. ever captures you, I pledge to fight until you are freed. If B.I.G. ever invades your home, I pledge to push them out of the woods, out of the oceans, out of the deserts, back to where they belong—those bleak steel and granite condos on that most barren peak in all of Kyngdom.

Now we need to talk about a few things.

First of all, many of you have been wondering about the Guardians and the Powers. I don’t know too much about other Guardians and other Powers, but I can tell you about me, and the Power I protected.

When I was a young crow, before I was even given my name, my uncle Boreas took me under his wing (literally). He taught me combat skills far beyond what the other birds were learning in school. I didn’t know why he did that, but I wasn’t going to complain—none of the other birds messed with me anymore, not even the harpy eagles.

Finally, when Boreas felt I was ready, he revealed his secret: He was something called a Guardian, an animal specially chosen to live far away from the others to protect an ancient magical object—something called a Power. Boreas then told me that, if I chose to accept, I would take his place when he died. How could I turn him down? It sounded lonely, and it has been lonely. But how often are you handed a life of meaningful work, ready made, just like that?

Boreas told me he guarded a Power called the Power of Wing. He was its first Guardian, in fact. In the beginning, he was ordered (by whom he would or could not tell me) to the top of Meek Peak, to the same outpost where I would live most of my life. There he found a little hut with a strange object inside it. It was the object he had to hide forever.

As you probably know, the Power of Wing is a hard white stone in the shape of a flute. (It can be played as a flute, actually, but only if one has the beak and lungs of a bird. I believe that’s why B.I.G. hasn’t figure out it’s an instrument.) It is engraved with a rune meaning "Breath of Life," as you must’ve read in B.I.G.'s lab notes. Here is something I swore to keep secret, but that I believe I must reveal to you now: the Power of Wing can, in fact, breathe the breath of life.

When activated, the Power summons a legendary winged beast. This might sound strange, but I have no idea which one. Part of my responsibility has been NEVER to activate it, under any circumstances. But the way B.I.G. has been experimenting on it, I fear they will accidentally trigger its power and unleash chaos on all of Kyngdom. Maybe they think they can control any beast that comes their way—but their fancy technology wasn’t even powerful enough to stop a bunch of animal spies from invading their headquarters. We have to rescue the Power before they can activate it.

Yes, you've heard right. B.I.G. still has the Power of Wing. The one we recovered was a model they built to try and study the Power's aerodynamics. I don’t know where they’re storing the real one. Some of F.A.F.A.'s spies on the inside might know. In any case, it will be much harder to rescue than I was. B.I.G. thought I was nothing but a useless, strange old bird. But they know the Power has some remarkable properties. They just don’t know what those properties are—yet.

Again, I know very little about the other Guardians. But I do know there are many more. The only one I've ever met personally is the Guardian of the Power of Claw. He is a badger who lives somewhere far south of here in a southern Kyngdom grassland. I don't know his name. But he told me once, cryptically, that if I ever needed to find him, I should follow a straight line of petrified trees until I reached the last and largest one. His instructions stopped there. If anyone comes from southern Kyngdom and knows anything about its grasslands or petrified woods, please speak up.

I can only assume the Power of Claw can also summon a mighty beast. That badger will know more. Hopefully B.I.G. hasn’t found him already.

Oh, and what happened to Boreas? He died peacefully on top of Meek Peak. I found him on one of my weekly visits, something like a smile on his beak. After that, it was my time—a time that wasn't quite so peaceful. But if we can make B.I.G. look like fools, I believe we can restore peace across all of Kyngdom. It won't be easy. Peacemaking never is. But we must do it.

Yours,

Zephyra

Guardian of the Power of Wing

Meek Peak

submitted by Zephyra, Meek Peak
(March 12, 2016 - 10:08 pm)

Thanks for the information Zephyra! First to see and post! Petrified woods... the barelands is basically a huge forest burned down years ago, but never grew back. Maybe that's what the badger was talking about? I depends on when he spoke to you, so probably not. I will make plans to get the power back Zephyra! And dang it! That means I replaced what we thought was the power was another replica of the power. That's sort of weird, but anyways, badgers are tough animals, not to be bothered with. Power of Claw? claws are deadly, so this power might be more dangerous. Hope you get better Aunt Zephyra!

submitted by Storm Windwhisperer
(March 12, 2016 - 11:51 pm)

Bump :)

submitted by Little Crow, age 10, Meek Peak
(March 13, 2016 - 1:31 am)

Sweet smashing sun.

Zephyra. If you need anything -- sssomeone to go look for the Power of Claw, sssomeone to get the Power of Wing back, even jussst sssomeone to bring you more Bog and Burrow food -- sssay the word and I'll help as bessst I can. I'm sssorry I got ssso angry with you regarding the Ultra Trivia Challenge. I know now it was foolisssh to try and beat you in the "Magic and Legends" category; you had firsssthand (firssst-wing?) experience, and all I had was a few old tales from an alligator in the-

Fire and thunder! I have an idea! I could head back sssoutheassst, to the Sssluella Ssswampsss, and talk to Ol' Dunky for you! You might like him- he's an "oldie but a goodie," as they sssay, and he only eatsss fisssh and the occasional idiotic tapir, never bird or sssnake. He knows the Ssswampsss better than anyone elssse, myssself included; if there's another Power in the Ssswampsss, or anywhere near them for that matter, he'd be happy to tell about it. He loves telling ssstories.

What do you sssay? Ssshould I go to the Ssswampsss? I'm sssure B.I.G.'s forgotten about me by now, ssso it'sss probably sssafe to return there. Probably.

submitted by Physs
(March 13, 2016 - 10:58 am)

Should we go find him and get him? If you guys think we should, open up a page about it.

submitted by Claire H
(March 13, 2016 - 12:27 pm)

I'm more worried about B.I.G. still having the Power of Wing. Do you think we should warn them about its abilities? No, I guess if they knew, they'd try to activate it and use it against us... We have to figure out a way to recover it. 

I think the best approach here is not to break in. I think it's to plant someone inside who is clever enough to get access and smuggle the thing out. F.A.F.A. agents and human allies, do we have a list of people who have infiltrated B.I.G.? Anyone who B.I.G. still trusts after our first raid. 

P.S. It's good to have you back, Z. 

submitted by Silverpaw, Bog & Burrow Inn
(March 13, 2016 - 3:20 pm)

My name is Claaws and I might be able to help. B.I.G. made a mistake sending that letter to me. Now I know he's after...

Anyway I would be glad to help get the Power of the Wing back and protect the power of the claw.  

submitted by Claaws
(March 13, 2016 - 9:59 pm)

One of my charries is a Chinese dragon, which won't be very helpful, but my other character is an annoying six-year-old, so she could help.

Admin, will Kyngdom stories be featured in the magazine? Or are the magazines only for providing clues?

 

Beginning with the April issue, Cricket will feature writings about Kyngdom from the Chatterbox. Stay tuned for other features! ~Admin

submitted by Lucy/Xiaolong
(March 13, 2016 - 4:51 pm)


tree.. could it be the stone tree?

 

It's not, is it? 

submitted by Zak S., age 15, Aptos CA
(March 13, 2016 - 9:31 pm)

I am Claaws. My history is bleak, I would rather not tell it. But B.I.G., he knew about my...

he asked for me to join him.

But I will never be fooled onto his side.

Feathers and fur, but most importantly scales forever.

 
I might know where another Power is, and be glad to help defend the Power of the Claws.  B.I.G. will stop at nothing to revive something of that power. And just to warn you, I sense a spy among us. 

submitted by Claaws
(March 13, 2016 - 10:04 pm)

I'm looking for the object in BIG headquaters right now. I think I found it in Professor Henshaw's desk, but it might just be another replica. Anyways, thanks for the info! Sorry I couldn't do more to help with your release. I tried to slow down the adults, but it only worked for a few seconds. 

submitted by Laria, age 'round 14, B.I.G., I guess
(March 14, 2016 - 4:42 pm)

I suppose we should send a few animals to quest for the badger? I'll lead if this is the right thing to do.

submitted by Kasumi H.
(March 15, 2016 - 6:30 pm)

We need another plan, maybe one similar to Storm's.

submitted by Lucy/Xiaolong
(March 16, 2016 - 6:25 am)

Guys! 'Dig beneath the stone tree' ? The message in the Cricket magazine! Zephyra was telling us to look fot the badger!!!!!!!! 

submitted by Laria, age 'round 14, B.I.G., I guess
(March 16, 2016 - 4:13 pm)

I'll set up a quest mission then.

submitted by Kasumi H.
(March 16, 2016 - 6:10 pm)

This probably isn't helpful, but I found the origin of all the Powers. They come from the golden petals left by the Flower-Carrier (See the Myths and Legends thread for more information). 

submitted by Lucy/Xiaolong
(March 16, 2016 - 5:07 pm)